


Surprise?

by Twiggy31



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 18:30:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18722569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twiggy31/pseuds/Twiggy31
Summary: Underhill goes to Lorenzo's apartment only to find that the Warlock is now a reptile. Hilarity ensues. Poor Underhill.





	Surprise?

**Author's Note:**

> So, Underhill and Lorenzo have been my crack OTP since Lorenzo was introduce (if you don't believe me, I have another fic about them). I know there was a trailer where Alec finds Lorenzo, but shh it hasn't happened yet. Enjoy.

Dumbfounded. Flabbergasted. Bewildered. Surprised. Confounded. Shocked. Speechless. All were synonyms to describe how Underhill felt as he walked into Lorenzo’s new apartment. When he woke up that morning after a night of stress and being on high alert, Underhill was hoping the day would be a little less stressful. His biggest clue that the day would be anything but normal should have been when Alec Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute and his boss, stormed in with dark determination. Underhill really should have known. That look rarely meant anything good.

Although he was beyond surprised to learn Magnus not only had his powers back but was currently residing in Edom, it just felt like another day. Another massive crisis hanging over them? Wow big shocker. He probably should have stayed at the Russian Institute rather than taken the new post in New York. He may have frozen to death, but at least it was relatively low key there. Nothing like finding Valentine’s daughter, dealing with experiments, the constant break in security protocol, having a demon that could slip through the wards, and having a Shadowhunter change their last name like four times ever happened in Russia. At times he still missed it. However, being near Alec made it easier to be who he was… not that it changed all that much. He was still, at least to him, pretty low key and hardworking. It just meant he could date freely and interact with the Downworld without too much judgement. He thought that was good enough until now.

He was curious though as to why Alec asked him, the Head of Security, to go speak to Lorenzo on his behalf, but didn’t really ask. Alec seemed to be on a war path and he felt it was better to just do as he was told and inquire later. Relinquishing his control to his second temporarily, he happily went to the Warlock’s apartment. Honestly it was nice to get out and do something for a change. Since becoming Head of Security he didn’t go out on missions much anymore and only left the Institute maybe twice a week. He needed to get out. 

Back to the main problem at hand. He stared down at a terrarium with a blue and green chameleon in it. That shouldn’t have been too strange if it wasn’t for two things. First, Lorenzo wasn’t really a pet person. He didn’t have time to care for one. Second, the word HELP was written on the glass. No matter how smart some animals were, he highly doubted a chameleon could magically write the word on the glass. Blinking a few times, Underhill’s mind finally caught up to the situation. Lorenzo Rey, High Warlock of Brooklyn had been transformed into a reptile. **What. The. Hell.**

“Lorenzo!” Underhill cried. Tearing off the mesh top, he carefully picked the man up. “Okay, we’ll fix this. Don’t worry.” He leveled the chameleon to eye level and asked, “Are you alright?” He paused for a moment before finishing with, “Aside from the obvious.” Underhill watched as Lorenzo’s eyes rolled as if exasperated with him. “No need to get sassy. Ah, do I need to grab you clothes? For when you transform back?” When Lorenzo merely stared at him, he shook his head. “How am I supposed to know? It’s not like I’ve ever transformed before or been present to a transformation. Aside from a Werewolf transformation and they definitely wind up naked afterwards.” He started towards the Institute activating a few runes to get there faster.

“It’s going to be okay.” He reassured. Whether he was doing it for himself or the Warlock he wasn’t sure. When a sticky tongue shot out and hit his hand Underhill knew maybe the other man wasn’t as concerned as he was. “I get it you aren’t that concerned. Do you want to be a reptile for all eternity? I hear an eternity is a long time. I may not be looking down at you, but do not independently roll your eyes at me. I am concerned and you just became High Warlock. Are you willing to give that up? Yeah I didn’t think so. Stop pouting, we’re almost there”

He burst through the front doors of the Institute panting. “Where’s Alec?” He asked to the closest Shadowhunter. When “Control room” was called after him, he didn’t stop his stride at all. Upon entering he called, “Lorenzo is a reptile.” The entire room froze and then all turned to stare at him. Good he wasn’t the only one dumbfounded. Lorenzo made him feel as though he was overreacting. Everyone’s expressions confirmed he was not.

“What?” Alec frowned.

“Lorenzo is a reptile. A chameleon to be exact. I went to his apartment and he was in a tank.” Withdrawing his hand from his coat he had been using to shield the Warlock, he thrusted him at Alec. “Why is my boyfriend a chameleon?”

“I don- Wait what? Your boyfriend?” Underhill could see the gears in Alec’s head getting stuck on the information.

His anger, fear, and adrenaline rush crashed as he realized what he said. Oops didn’t mean to blurt that out. “Ah, yeah.” The room went silent and slightly uncomfortable. That was not how he planned on informing people that he had recently entered into a relationship with the Warlock. But what could he do about it now? Surprise?

Shaking his head, Alec pointed at no one in particular in the way he did when he would come back to the subject later. “We’ll… We’ll talk about that later. Right now let’s just focus on the reptile thing. Are you sure it’s Lorenzo?”

“Um, yeah.” Underhill cleared his throat and hugged the hand holding Lorenzo closer to his body. “Unless a chameleon can write HELP on the glass of its tank in magic, I’m pretty sure it’s him. He’s also quite animated for an animal.” Just to prove he wasn’t a simple reptile and to show his annoyance, Lorenzo released a small amount of magic into Underhill’s hand. “Hey!”

“Definitely Lorenzo.” Jace commented.

As Underhill glared at the other Shadowhunter, Alec took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, I’ll contact Cat and see what she can do. Underhill, I trust you’ll keep a close eye on your boyfriend.” The word felt strange in his mouth in regards to the Warlock that he clashed so often with dating one of his men. He’ll deal with that later. “Jace. Izzy. Keep working on our mission. Clary, please talk to Luke about what we’ve been discussing. I’ll be right back.” Leaving the immediate area, he pulled out his phone and called Cat.

On the second ring, the Nurse answered, “Can this wait, I have five minutes befo-“

“At your earliest convenience I need to you to come to the Institute. Lorenzo has-“ He had to cut himself off before laughing. Although the situation was dire, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the Warlock being turned into a reptile. “Sorry, Lorenzo is a chameleon.”

The line was silent before Cat slowly repeated, “Lorenzo is a… chameleon.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be there in about an hour. Let me finish up my rounds. I have to see this.”

“Thank you Cat.”

“My pleasure.” She hung up without anything else to say.

Composing, Alec returned to where everyone else was. “What’s the vampire doing here?”

“Really?” Simon complained and missed the way Alec smirked at his siblings.

Izzy patted his shoulder while replying, “He could help us with the vampires. What did Cat say?”

“She’ll be here in about an hour. She just needs to finish up her rounds at the hospital. For now let’s stay focused. Underhill, do you mind checking over security? We need it working at optimum. Check for any and all ways that Jonathan could get in. Any weaknesses please report.” His eyes scanned the group. “Izzy and Simon will look after Lorenzo. If anything happens to him they will be answering to me. Understood?” His eyes burned with a fierceness that rarely was directed at his siblings.

Izzy patted Alec’s should, “No worries _hermano_ , Lorenzo will be safe with us. We would never let anything happen to him.”

While Izzy walked over and Underhill reluctantly passed his boyfriend over to the woman and whispered “please don’t cook for him,” Alec turned to Jace and Clary, “How’s it going with Luke?”

“I can’t get in touch with him.” Clary looked down. “I’ll keep trying.”

“Good, thank you. While you’re trying to reach Luke, see if there is anything Maia and her pack can do. The littlest ways can help. The very least make sure they are aware Jonathan is on the loose.”

“We will.” Jace gripped Alec’s shoulder. “What are you up to?”

“Demon research. I’ll speak with Cat and Lorenzo after he’s back to his usual pleasant self.”

“Good luck.” Jace turned and left with Clary to work on the Werewolves.

A little more than an hour later Cat waltzed in with a smirk on her lips. Finding Alec in his office, she asked, “A chameleon?”

Looking up, Alec bit his lip before saying, “A chameleon.” 

Cat threw her head back and laughed. For a solid minute or two the pair laughed at the Warlock's misfortune. Sweet, sweet karma. Wiping tears away, she commented, “Are there pictures?”

“I’m pretty sure Izzy has taken some, but I thought it rude. Underhill was quite distressed that Lorenzo was a reptile.” When Cat tilted her head in question he revealed, “Apparently they’re dating.”

“Awkward.”

“A little. If it was anyone else, it would be fine. Why Lorenzo?”

“Can’t help who you like. Where’s-“

Alec’s face fell and she could see the weariness and despair in his face. “Edom.”

“What?” For a moment Cat’s glamour fell and her magic sparked at her finger tips.

“Alicante was under attack. Jonathan opened a rift with the Morgenstern Sword and then destroyed it. The city was in chaos. Magnus showed up-“ He had to pause for a moment trying to reign in his emotions. “He killed some demons.”

“He has his magic back?” The shock on her face told Alec that Magnus must have been keeping it a secret or hadn’t gotten around to telling his closest friend.

“Yes. It’s a long story that involved us um, breaking up again. Anyway, he came to our rescue and… we made up.” He looked down at his hand and twisted the ring that now resided on his left ring finger.

“Alec…” She saw the movement and the flash of silver. She wanted to cry.

“The only way to close the rift was for him to go to Edom and draw from its power. It worked. The rift closed and Alicante was saved… He hasn’t returned.”

Cat was silent a moment before asking, “What are we doing now?”

His hazel eyes lifted with a fire that would surely burn the world down if it meant he could save Magnus. “I’m going to save him of course. Which is why I asked Underhill to go and speak with Lorenzo since he’s the High Warlock. I was going to call you too, but was interrupted by the news that Lorenzo was no longer a man.”

“Then what are we waiting for? We have a Warlock to transform back and your… fiancé to save.” The grin she gave him almost rivaled the fire that burned in him.

“After you. He’s with Izzy and Simon.”

“Underhill didn’t fight to watch after him?”

“I could see he wanted to, but he couldn’t be distracted while he made sure the Institute was basically impenetrable. With Jonathan running around, we need to make sure there are no holes in our security.”

“Must be a new relationship. I can’t imagine you letting Magnus out of your sight if he was a chameleon.”

Alec let out a snort, “Not a chance.”

“Then why did you two break up this time?”

Alec’s steps slowed, but did not stop as he quietly admitted, “He wasn’t happy without his powers.”

Cat filled in what he wasn’t saying. “You made a deal with a demon?” Her voice was sharp. His silence was a reply enough. “You’re an idiot.”

“So I’ve been repeatedly told.” Instead of going straight to the armory, they detoured to the Op Centre. “Underhill, if you have a moment. Cat is here.” With a nod, the man typed a few more things and then followed after them. The trio stopped once inside the doorway unsure how to process what they were seeing. Izzy was cataloging what weapons were in the armory and what were out in the field. This wasn’t surprising. It was her job and she took it very seriously. What made them pause was Simon. While he typed away on his phone possibly keeping in contact with Clary or even trying to get in touch with Luke, Lorenzo was on a… thing. Alec wasn’t sure what the hell it was but it looked like an armored rhino chameleon hybrid thing. The Warlock was hanging on to it as it slowly moved across the floor.

Underhill was unsurprisingly the one to break the silence, “What the hell is going? Why is he on whatever that thing is?” Within three strides he carefully picked his boyfriend up and held him close.

“It’s an A-T A-T Walker from Star Wars.” Simon replied without looking up from his text. 

For the first time ever, Underhill looked ready to murder. Trying to prevent that, Alec asked, “Why is he on that and why do you have it?”

“I couldn’t resist bringing it and he is surprisingly interested in escaping. Like he’s a clever escape artist. I put him down for a second on the work bench to answer a text and he was already climbing Izzy’s lamp. We tried the keeping him on our shoulders and he hated that even more. He almost careened to the floor a few times because he was more interested in getting off of me than safely staying put. I have also been sniped at with his tongue. Do you know how weird it is to be hit with a chameleon tongue? It’s weird. It’s a good thing I brought it because he’s much easier to watch when he’s riding it than putting him on the table.”

“I can confirm that he did not want to stay put. He’s quite agile and fast for a creature that takes its time getting places.” Izzy added, rounding the table. 

“He was fine with me.” Underhill muttered.

Izzy looked at the usually quiet man with a raised brow. “I’m not surprised. I get he doesn’t exactly trust us, but he didn’t need to try and disappear. There are dozens of Shadowhunters running around on high alert getting ready to defend the Institute and New York. You should inform your boyfriend that he could have been stepped on.”

Looking down at the High Warlock, Underhill scowled. “She’s right you know. We already covered that you just became the High Warlock. You really want to lose the position because you either got stuck as a reptile or because a frantic Shadowhunter stepped on you. We rarely look down. You could have been hurt. Ow! Don’t zap me you asshole.” He narrowed his eyes as Lorenzo turned away from him. “Real mature. Aren’t you a couple hundred years old?”

While the group watched in semi fascinated and semi freaked out, Izzy finally turned to the other Warlock in the room. “Hi Cat.”

“Hello, Izzy.” Cat smiled while trying not to laugh. “As entertaining as it is to watch this… one sided conversation let’s get him back to normal. I can feel his annoyance from here.” Gently handing Lorenzo over to Cat, Underhill hesitantly went to stand beside Alec.

“Thank you.” Placing him on the floor she made sure everyone backed away so the other Warlock had room. “Don’t rush him, he’ll probably be a little disoriented for a moment or two.” Moving her hands gracefully around and muttering words in another language it didn’t take long for Lorenzo become upright and start swaying on two feet.

Before he could topple, Underhill was by his side steadying him. “Are you alright?”

“Wonderful.” The High Warlock muttered trying to regain his equilibrium.

“What happened?” Lorenzo noted that there was still some distress in Underhill’s voice.

After taking a few sips from the cup Izzy handed him, Lorenzo replied, “Magnus and Asmodeus dropped by the apartment,” While Alec’s face blanched, Cat and Izzy looked at him with wide eyes. “Demanding I give Magnus his apartment back. I refused. It was stupid of me of course since I was dealing with a Prince of Hell, but I did anyway and was turned into a reptile. I will give Magnus this at least he didn’t let his father surrender me to a pet shop like he wanted to.”

“Father?” Izzy, Simon, and Underhill all shouted at once.

“Oh, you didn’t know? Huh, interesting. I’m surprised he didn’t flaunt it.”

Alec gritted his teeth as Cat asked, “Where is Asmodeus now? If he’s still out there we need to-“

“Gone.” Lorenzo replied. “Magnus found out that Asmodeus tricked lover boy here, knocked him out, and sent him to limbo. He shouldn’t be a problem anymore or at least for the time being. Now where is Magnus? He should have told you all this.”

“In Edom.” Alec answered. “In order to close a rift between our world and Edom, he portaled there. It’s part of the reason why I had Underhill go to the apartment. I would like-“

“No.” Lorenzo replied. “I’m not risking my life for that man.”

“He kept you a live didn’t he?”

“He didn’t exactly stop Asmodeus from turning me into a reptile and he didn’t transform me back when he had a chance.”

The two had a stare down that froze the air around them. The present people started to shift debating whether or not to interfere. Finally Alec straightened up and put on his pleasant political smile. “Fine. It’s your choice.” Lorenzo narrowed his eyes knowing that he would not like what came next. “I won’t force you to help. You are free to return to the apartment and go about your business. However, know that should you hurt Underhill in any way I will destroy you. Angel, demon, and all in between will not be able to find you should you hurt him. Have a good day. I have a fiancé to save and a wedding to plan.” 

As he turned on his heels, Lorenzo sighed, “Alright. Alright, I’ll help. Just-“ He really, really disliked this man. The pair were going to rule the world should everything work out and he supposed he should be on somewhat okay terms with them. “What do you need me to do?”

Alec turned back to the Warlock and smiled. “Excellent. Follow me and you will be briefed.” Lorenzo really, really did not like this man.


End file.
